Red Wine
by lolly2222
Summary: This is a little episode tag that came to me, after At first blush so *spoiler* as I forgot to put them inside!


**Author's Note: This is my first Episode Tag, it went a bit off the wall at the end, but other than that … also I tried to upload this Fri and Fanfic kept crashing so I had to wait until today, that irked me.**

**Disclaimer: I own the dance floor that is all...**

D.A. Oscar Ardiles left Jane and the hordes of reporters, to the swam the now free Eve. He had something else far more important to do, with his evening. He owed a smart and sassy woman a big apology. He wasn't a proud man, he would ask for forgiveness.

No time like the present either, as her wayward consultant was otherwise distracted, basking in his being right. He shifted the brown bag in his arms and searched for his car keys.

The ride to her office was mostly silent. While the energy of the courtroom, the buzz of unknown possibilities, the adrenaline of always being ready to argue, to fight, drew him to this job, it was also exhausting. The time he spent in his car, just him and the lone night was his respite from his hectic days.

His mind inevitably drew back to Lisbon, it was the similarities between her and his job that had originally intrigued him about her. She was feisty and impulsive, he really had no idea just how she would react to anything, well except arguments about Jane. In his case she was a better defence attorney than most.

Honestly it excited him somewhat, her penchant for anger and arguments, it really was a shame she was spoken for, according to local gossip, not to mention what he had seen with his own eyes.

He flashed his credentials at the night watchman and walked through the lobby. He wasn't even sure she would be there, but his mother told him to never go to sleep, angry or at fault. He moved the bag again so he could press the call button for the lift, it was heavier than it looked and he would be glad to be rid of it.

He waited several minutes, the elevator button had been pressed numerous times and still nothing. Oscar let out an irritated sigh, it seemed to be stuck at parking level for some reason. The stairs it was so, he decided. He took two at a time easily, Oscar was a regular at his local YMCA and proud of it.

He entered the bull pen to find the floor mostly dark, bar the small glass room that held Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon. He could see where some light was seeping through blinds, that were mostly closed as he approached. He was surprisingly nervous, but knew he had to bite the bullet regardless, he had to work with her after all.

He knocked lightly and entered. Lisbon looked up in surprise at his presence. She was no doubt still angry at the way he had insulted her and her abilities earlier.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." He began.

"It's ok, please take a seat", she gestured to the seat in front of her desk, her eyes watched him intensively.

She was a beautiful woman, her eyes were astounding. He hated that he was often distracted by her when they interacted. It was something that didn't occur often.

"So, I came to apologise and give you this", he passed over the brown bag, it sounded with a heavy clunk when it landed on the table.

"Wow an apology and a present, I usually get neither and from a D.A., ... has hell frozen?" Lisbon mocked, deliberately not opening the bag.

"I very much deserve your anger Teresa, I spoke out of line and took my frustrations out on you, rather than the P.D. who deserved it. They hadn't done their jobs, not you, so again I apologise." Oscar answered honestly. Teresa looked taken aback.

"Yes it's not often I'm told I'm a bad leader for wanting the guilty party to go to jail instead of an innocent person" Teresa stated sarcastically.

"I'm guessing your not used to being told your wrong full stop." Oscar joked, hoping to lighten her mood and her wrath.

"That's very true, though usually when I am told it it always seems to come from lawyers." Lisbon smiled, accepting his gesture and pulled the bag towards her. She knew there was no point holding a grudge, she had learned that from Jane.

There was two bottles of wine in the bag. Pulling out a bottle of Red, she saw it was her favourite from Eve's vineyard, how did he know?

"Before you go thinking I'm psychic, Eve gave it to me for you as a thank you, I'm just a delivery boy." Oscar told her.

"She brought wine with her to a court case? I like her more and more" Lisbon laughed.

"No she had her sister bring it to the courthouse after, they were all going out for a celebratory dinner." He explained.

"Less fun than my assumption but still, never look a gift horse..." Lisbon shrugged, trailing off.

"So did you get much grief from your boss over the case?" She wondered out loud, having been there many times herself.

"No, thankfully catching the real killer, and avoiding a large payout for wrongful conviction got me a simple, light telling off, can't say the same for the cops though." Oscar was not impressed with them at all.

"I know how you feel." Lisbon sympathised.

"Well again, I'm sorry, to have further added to that, and I'm grateful you have been so understanding." Oscar said, rising up to leave.

"Thank _you_ for the apology, though you could have waited till morning."

"Not really, I wanted to grab a late night dinner and I can't enjoy my food if my minds elsewhere, I would invite you, but no doubt you are waiting on Jane and he might misinterpret the invite. Nobody wants an angry Jane against them." Ardiles made a face at the idea of the possible paybacks.

"Why would I be waiting on Jane, and what would he care where I go, or who with?" Lisbon scrunched up her face in confusion.

"I've been told about you two, you know being..." Oscar informed her.

"No I don't know. Jane and I are colleagues. what _exactly_ have you been so wrongly informed about." Lisbon questioned angrily.

"I get you're not allowed to... say something... it's okay." Oscar tried to calm her down

"Seriously Ardiles we aren't." Lisbon was furious, she thought the weird obsession people had about her and Jane, was just in this office.

"Really?", he watched her for any dishonesty, seeing none he pressed on, "Well then would you like to join me? As friends of course." or not if you want more, he added silently to himself.

Lisbon thought for a moment. She had a long day and was hungry, all she had had was half a sandwitch. Plus Jane had run off on her again.

"I would" Lisbon smiled, "and I know a great Mongolian barbecue that we could go to... and you can pay as a further apology. Not only have questioned my leadership abilities, but now my taste in men." She jested.

"My pleasure." Oscar looking at Lisbon as she stashed her wine in the bottom drawer and grabbed her things. This day just picked up.

Jane was nearly out of breath as he finally got upstairs. The elevator hadn't responded for ages, so he decided to climb the stairs, a mistake judging by how out of breath he was, a bigger mistake when he heard the elevator arrive after he had already halfway ascended. Just his luck.

He was very happy with the overall outcome of the day. He had saved an innocent woman from jail, he figured he had tipped the scale back. He, a guilty man was let go, so by getting an innocent woman off, he had balanced justice again. Perfect way to make inroads with his Lisbon and perhaps get her smile back.

He could see her light on, good she was still here. Jane went and grabbed a glass of water, he really had to start exercising. He walked out, noticing Lisbon's light was now off. He moved quickly to the elevator hoping to catch her up and make her stay for tea.

He heard laughing as he approached. Turning the corner, he saw Ardiles and Lisbon chatting in front of the closed doors, waiting as the metal box ascended. He could hear Ardiles discussing the Mongolian restaurant they were going to, adding an anecdote about the last time he ate a barbecue.

Jane felt irrational anger, watching Ardiles guide Lisbon through the doors, he saw her smile up at him as the doors closed. His stomach churned, his plans for the evening evaporated in an instant.

How dare that man, how dare he, it was his job to make her smile, his job to guide her, protect her, even feed her. He was going to pay, by God no man touched what was his.

Jane would have to amp up the rumours, he had spread about him and Lisbon, clearly they were insufficient. He knew right now he wasn't right for her, couldn't giver her what she wanted, needed, deserved even.

He knew this but he wasn't lying when he said to Timothy Carter that he would marry when Red John was dead. He knew where, what ring, how many guests and most certainly with whom. This didn't work not at all, he had a plan and no man was getting in the way of that.


End file.
